Isolation and characterization of mitochondria from human B lymphoblastoid cell lines

Vol. 186, No. 1,1992

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July 15, 1992

Pages 16-23

ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MITOCHONDRIA FROM HUMAN B LYMPHOBLASTOID CELL LINES T. Bourgeron, D. Chretien, A. Rbtig, A. Munnich and P. Rustin Unit6 de Recherches sur les Handicaps G6n6tiques de l'Enfant, INSERM U 12, H6pital des Enfants-Malades, 149, rue de S~vres, 75743 Paris Cedex 15 Received May 16, 1992

Mitochondria were isolated from detergent-treated Epstein-Barr virus-transformed human lymphocytes to examine their potential use in the study of the functional expression of genetic disorders of the respiratory chain. The increase of cytochrome c oxidase activity in the mitochondrial fraction indicated a 6-fold purification of intact mitochondria. Polarographic and spectrophotometric studies revealed that the isolated mitochondria were functionally well preserved. Furthermore, the isolated mitochondria supported an active in organello protein synthesis, which was dependent on the presence of a respiratory substrate generating ATP and was essentially abolished by chloramphenicol or by a specific respiratory chain inhibitor, such as antimycin. Thus, B lymphoblastoid cell lines constitute a valuable source of mitochondria to investigate mitochondrial functions in patients affected by respiratory chain disorders. ® 1992A c a d e m i c P . . . . . I'7.C.

Until now, mitochondrial disorders have been essentially regarded as neuromuscular diseases (1). As a consequence, investigation of respiratory chain (RC) defects is generally carried out on muscle biopsies (1). Use of cultured fibroblasts has also been proposed (2), but the consistency of the expression of RC defects in these cultured cells has been repeatedly questioned (2,3). Recently, observations have accumulated suggesting that, particularly in childhood, mitochondrial disorders are not restricted to neuromuscular diseases, but rather may affect any organ or tissue (4). A specific expression of a RC disorder in blood cells has thus been reported in young patients presenting with Pearson syndrome (5). Detailed molecular studies have shown that this disorder, which is often fatal, originated from rearrangements of the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA), affecting variable Abbreviations: BLCL, B lymphoblastoid cell lines; BSA, bovine serum albumin; CAP, chloramphenicol; EBV, Epstein-Barr virus; EDTA, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; EGTA, ethyleneglycoltetraacetic acid; MOPS, morpholinopropanesulphonic acid; PMSF, phenylmethane-sulphonyl fluoride; Prot, protein; SDS, sodium dodecyl sulfate; Tris, 2amino-2(hydroxymethyl)l, 3, propanediol. 0006-291X/92 $4.00 Copyright © 1992 by Academic Press, lnc. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.

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proportions of the population of mtDNA (5). Rearranged mtDNA, accumulated in lymphocytes, bone marrow and gut, and was still present in cultured B lymphoblastoid cell lines (BLCL) (5). In contrast, the functional expression of this genetic disorder (enzyme function, translation ability of the mitochondria) has been poorly characterized. Such a study, when using BLCL as model, would require the isolation of the mitochondria. Unfortunately, although several methods have been proposed to isolate mitochondria from cells in culture (6,7,8,9), persistent difficulties are encountered to obtain satisfactory yields of functionally intact mitochondria from human BLCL. This has been mainly ascribed to the difficulty to break cells open without affecting the integrity of the mitochondrial membranes (9). In this report we present the characterization of the functional properties of intact mitochondria isolated from cultured human BLCL, using a slightly modified method based on the use of digitonin to specifically destabilize the plasma membrane (10),

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Ceil line. Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphocytes from normal individuals were grown in RPMI 1640 medium (GIBCO) supplemented with 10% foetal calf serum, 2 mM glutamine, 100 #g/ml streptomycin and 100 IU/ml penicillin at 37°C under standard conditions (11). Isolation of mitochondria. Lymphoblastoid cells (108 cells, about 6.5 mg of protein) washed three times with medium A (100 mM sucrose, 1 mM EGTA, 20 mM MOPS (pH 7.4), 1 g/I BSA), were resuspended in 1 ml of medium B (medium Aplus 10 mM triethanolamine, 5% Percoll, 0.1 mg/ml digitonin). After 3 min incubation at 4°C, cells were disrupted with 7 strokes of a motor driven (500 rpm) tightly fitting glass-Teflon pestle. The homogenate was centrifuged twice at 2,500 g for 5 min and the resulting supernatant further centrifuged at 10,000g for 5 min. The pellet of crude mitochondria (about 750 Fg of protein) was resuspended in medium C (300 mM sucrose, 1 mM EGTA, 20 mM MOPS (pH 7.4), 1 g/I BSA, 1 mM PMSF). All steps were carried out at 4°C under sterile conditions. Polarographic and spectrophotometric studies. Oxygen uptake was measured in medium D (300 mM mannitoi, 10 mM KH2PO 4 (pH 7.2), 10 mM KCI, 5 mM MgCI2 and 1 g/l BSA) with a Clark oxygen electrode in a 300 FI-cell, magnetically stirred and thermostated at 37°C. Cytochrome c oxidase (EC 1.9.3.1.), succinate cytochrome c reductase, NADH and NADPH cytochrome c reductase, and lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27) activities were spectrophotometrically measured using standard procedures (12,13,14,). NADHubiquinone reductase (EC 1.6.99.5) was measured using decylubiquinone (2,3-dimethoxy5-methyl-6-decyl-1, 4 benzoquinone) (15). Catalase activity (EC 1.11.106) was polarographically determined (14). Room temperature difference spectra (reduced minus oxidized) were recorded with a computerized UV-3000 Shimadzu spectrophotometer using one quartz cell (200 ~1). The absolute spectrum of the oxidized sample was automatically substracted from the reduced spectra. Spectra performed at liquid nitrogen temperature (-196°C) were recorded in 80 #1 cells. Baseline (oxidized minus oxidized) was substracted from difference spectra (reduced minus oxidized). Quantitative measurements of cytochromes were performed according to Chance (16). All studies were carried out in medium D. Mitochondrial protein synthesis. Mitochondrial protein synthesis in intact cells (50 x 106 cells) was performed in 5 ml methionine-free RPMI 1640 medium, supplemented with 2% l?

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foetal calf serum, 100 Fg/ml cycloheximide and 300 i~Ci [35S] methionine. After 2 h of labeling and a 30 min chase with unlabeled medium, mitochondria were isolated as described above. Alternatively, protein synthesis by isolated mitochondria (200 I~g protein) was carried out in 100 FI of a medium modified from McKee et al. (17) containing 44 mM mannitol, 14 mM sucrose, 25 mM MOPS (pH 7.4), 90 mM KCI, 1 mM EDTA, 0.4 mM EGTA, 6 mM MgSO 4, 2.5 mM KH2PO 4, lmM PMSF, 1 g/I BSA, 100 t~g/ml cycloheximide, 10 mM succinate, 20 mM glutamate, 4 mM ATP, 0.5 mM GTP, 0.2 mM amino acid mixture (minus methionine), 60 #Ci [~S] methionine. After 1 h incubation at 30°C in a magnetically stirred 1.5 ml micro test tube, mitochondria were pelleted and treated for SDS-urea-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The [35S] methionine incorporation was determined as described by Mans and Novelli (18). Background incorporation was determined by measuring the incorporation immediately after the addition of radioactivity. Bacterial contamination was determined by plating 50 Id of incubation medium containing mitochondria (2 mg/ml) on blood agar plates. After 48 h incubation at 37°C, the plates were examined for the presence of bacterial colonies. Protein electrophoresis. Gels were a modification of the urea gels described by Ching et aL (19). The separating gel consisted of 15% polyacryiamide [1:50 bis(acrylamide)], 8 M urea in 375 mM Tris-HCI (pH 8.8), and 0.1% SDS. A stacking gel (1.5 cm) consisted of 5%acrylamide [1:37.5 bis(acrylamide)], 8 M urea in 125 mM Tris-HCI (pH 6.8), and 0.1% SDS. The samples were prepared in 62.5 mM Tris-HCI (pH 6.8), 4% SDS, 10% ~mercaptoethanol, 8M urea, 0.05% bromophenol blue. Gels were electrophoresed for about 5-6 hours for 20 cm gels (15 mA / gel), treated for fluorography with Entensify (New England Nuclear) and exposed to a Kodac X-OMAT AR film at -80°C for 5 days. Protein determination and chemicals. Protein was determined by the method of Bradford (20) using BSA as a standard. The amino acid mixture minus methionine was from Promega. In vivo labeling grade [35S] methionine was from Amersham. All other chemicals were analytical reagent grade from Sigma Chemical Company.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

We first determined the optimal conditions for the disruption of the plasma membrane, using the latency of lactate dehydrogenase activity as an index of cell breakage. As freezing of cells also tends to damage energy linked functions of mitochondria (9), the use of membrane destabilizing agents associated with mechanical homogeneization (10) was the method of choice to disrupt the cells. Homogeneization in a relatively low osmoticum (0.1 M saccharose) with 10 mM triethanolamine-acetate buffer and 0.1 mg/ml digitonin released all the activity of the cytosolic lactate dehydrogenase. No additional activity was revealed upon treatment of the cell homogenate with a high concentration of a detergent (Tab.l; 2.5 mM lauryl maltoside). We simultaneously checked the integrity of the mitochondrial outer membrane by measuring its permeability to exogenous cytochrome c. In the absence of detergent, only a low cytochrome c oxydase activity could be detected (less than 3% of the total activity in presence of 2.5 mM lauryl maltoside), indicative of the intactness of the mitochondrial outer membranes. Mitochondria were next isolated by differential centrifugations as described under Material and Methods. The distribution of different cellular markers among the various ]8

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Table 1. Marker distribution in the fractions separated by differential centrifugation during the isolation of BLCL mitochondria. Experimental

conditions as described under Material and Methods. Enzyme assays were performed in the presence of detergent (2,5 mM lauryl maltoside). Data are expressed per fraction. Fraction

Protein (mg)

LDH

Cyt c Catalase NADPH cyt c oxidase reductase (nmol acceptor or donor min-1) 10,867 430 108,000 103 (10,867)a (9)a

Homogenate

4.5

Supernatant Sl (30oog)

2.75

9,500

330

56,000

68

Pellet P1 Supernatant s2 (lO,OOOg)

1.75

1,207

95

52,000

30

2.3

9,299

110

50,000

41

Mitochondrial

0.4

200

217

4,000

24

pellet P2

(8) a

a Activity measured in the absence of lau[yl maltoside.

fractions was studied (Tab. 1). Only 2% of the lactate dehydrogenase activity, a cytosolic marker (14), and 5% of the catalase activity, a marker for peroxisomes (21), were found in the mitochondria-enriched fraction P2. In contrast, about 25% of the total NADPHcytochrome c reductase activity, a marker for microsomes (13), was found in this fraction. The yield of intact mitochondria (more than 95% intact) was about 45 + 8 % based on the initial cytochrome c oxidase content of the ceils. The spectral composition of mitochondria was then studied using low temperature (-196°C) differential spectrophotometry (Fig. 1A). Reduction of the respiratory chain was first triggered by succinate in the presence of ATP and cyanide (Fig.lA, spectrum a). Under this condition, succinate brought about a full reduction of the respiratory chain. Quantification of the cytochromes at room temperature (Fig.lA, inset) indicated ratios roughly similar to those previously reported for mitochondria from other human tissues (22). When the preparation was maintained chemically reduced by dithionite (Fig.lA, spectrum b), no changes in the reduction level of cytochrome oxidase and cytochrome c were observed. In contrast a significantly higher reduction of the b-type cytochromes was measured (+ 50 %), consistent with the presence of cytochrome-b containing microsomes previously indicated by the measurement of the NADPH-cytochrome c reductase (Tab.l). Polarographic studies showed that succinate was actively oxidized by these mitochondria (Fig.lB, trace a and b). In the absence of EDTA, ATP was exogenously hydrolysed to ADP (23), and respiratory controls (ranging from 6 to 9) could only be calculated by using rates measured in the presence of an inhibitor (oligomycin) of the ATPase versus the rates measured in the presence of an uncoupler (carbonyl cyanide mchlorophenylhydrazone). After inhibition of succinate oxidation by malonate, a potent ]9

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BIOCHEMICALAND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS Cytochromes (pmolrag-1prot)

428

. Ratio~

Suco +Aa Succ

r ~~ M lO mM Succ ~ / ~ *''-~-~,/~ ~-~

/13O~,MA'rP \ 0

76

0

D~LD~:. 125122191

-

- | /

M 10 mM Succ * ~ " ~ ' ~ A-- 70 pM ADP

3~,Mnot '~\

G,\ 10 FM Otigo 28~-,= 95 •M ADP ~\ / 10FM C C P ~

R.C.:6.11~

1.53 0.97J

,.

ADP/O:1.6~SJ(ADP

\7.MEOTA

t

548 /~tI"

j,.,

Z J.

/L,

I I I 390 420 450 480 510 540 570 600 620 Wavelength (nm)

C~

"°\

10 mM Malonate)f ~

~

~

Cells

~

15 mM Glutamate

3p.MRot

3± 40 p.M 02

1

~o\700 FM t 3

~,/ ~

3 p.M

~_... P,ot -4 1 mln P T

0.5

Figure 1. Biochemical characterization of BLCL mitochondria. A: Low temperature (-196°C) difference spectra. Experimental conditions as described under Material and Methods. Spectrum a, mitochondria (3.5 mg prot) were supplemented with 10 mM succinate, 130 I~M ATP, 700 t~M cyanide; spectrum b, mitochondria (5 mg prot) were reduced by dithionite. Inset: cytochrome composition determined at room temperature. Values were means of three different experiments and were calculated according to Chance and Williams (16). B: Oxidation of respiratory substrates by mitochondria (100 ~g prot) and cell (2.7 mg) respiration. Numbers along the traces are nmol 02 min-lmg -1 protein. Experimental conditions as described under Material and Methods. Aa: antimycin a; M: mitochondria; Oligo: oligomycin; Rot: rotenone; Succ: succinate.

competitive inhibitor of the succinate dehydrogenase

(24), adding duroquinol in the

presence of EDTA led to a rapid oxygen uptake (roughly twice the rate of succinate oxidation) which was fully inhibited by antimycin. In the presence of EDTA (Fig.lB, trace b), succinate oxidation was normally coupled with the phosphorylation process (ADP/O ratio value of 1.6 _+ 0.2). As previously reported for mitochondria isolated from human lymphocytes (7), malate (plus glutamate) was not actively oxidized (Fig.lB, trace c). An identical result was obtained with pyruvate or (z-ketoglutarate as substrate. However, cell respiration (Fig.1 B, trace d) was very sensitive to rotenone, a specific inhibitor of Complex I. We attempted to measure Complex I activity using decylubiquinone, an analog of coenzyme Q2 as electron acceptor (15), but no significant NADH oxidation (less than 5 nmol min -1 mg -1 prot) could be measured whatever the method used to permeabilize the mitochondria (osmotic shock, sonication, freeze-thawing). We therefore measured the NADH-cytochrome c reductase activity (12). Despite the high rate of rotenone-resistant activity (875 _+ 150 nmol min -1 mg-1 prot), rotenone-sensitive NADH cytochrome c reductase activity (175 +_ 37 nmol min -1 mg-1 prot) was roughly equal to the rate of the succinate cytochrome c reductase (185 + 30 nmol min-1 mg-1 prot), an activity ratio previously observed in other human mitochondria (13). 20

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BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

a

b

®

[35S] methenine inoo~poration

Labeling conditions

(cpm rain-1 mg-1 m~tochondrialprotein)

"in vivo . . . . MW

1h

(kD)

2h

2 h + CAP m46

ND5:

in organello"

980 1800 200

610 600 18 90

2h+Aa

COX I

ND4: m30

CYT b J

COX I

ND4

ND24 I[~

NDtJ

COX H, COX )11~ ATPase 6 =

21 5

ND 6 =

ND 3, ATPase 8,

1 (

i

_/ tll

j

-

: Ml~atto¢l

COXll

II :

/ " | | | CYTb~' [ | n

"in vtvo"

kj, i

ND5

A':/I (

IDOmV

ATPase s

T

"vV

14.3

ND 4L=

3.4

Figure 2. Mitochondrial protein synthesis by BLCL mitochondria. A: Resolution of BLCL mitochondrial translation products by electrophoresis through SDS-ureapolyacrylamide gels. Pattern of products labeled with psS] methionine in the presence of cycloheximide in intact cells (a) or isolated mitochondria (b). Other experimental conditions as described under Material and Methods. Polypeptides were tentatively assigned according to Chomyn et aL (25). Mitochondrial protein was 50 i~g for (a) and 100 t~g for (b). Inset: Effect of incubation time, 200 i~g/ml chloramphenicol (CAP) or 1 I~M antimycin (Aa) on 1~5S] methionine incorporation by intact cells ("in vivo") and by isolated mitochondria ("in organe//o"). B, Densitometric profiles of mitochondrial translation products after 2 h labeling in intact cells (a) and isolated mitochondria (b). Experimental conditions as in A. Mitochondrial protein content was 50 Fg.

Mitochondrial protein synthesis was next studied "in vivo" using intact cells (Fig. 2A, lane a), or "in organello" using isolated mitochondria (Fig. 2A, lane b). Tests for bacterial contamination of the incubation medium containing mitochondria did not reveal any bacterial colonies after 48 h. In the presence of cycloheximide, an inhibitor of cytoplasmic protein synthesis, both "in vivo" and "in organello" [35S] methionine incorporations were found sensitive to chloramphenicol (89-97%), an inhibitor of mitochondrial protein synthesis (Fig. 2A, inset). Accordingly, no polypeptides were detectable after a 10 d exposure of the film

(not shown).

Antimycin,

a

respiratory

chain

inhibitor,

inhibited

85%

of the

[35S] methionine incorporation by isolated mitochondria (Fig. 2A, inset). Densitometric analysis of electrophoresis

autoradiograms

indicated that similar patterns of labeled

polypeptides were obtained "in vivo" or "in organello" (Fig. 2B). In absence of specific 21

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antibodies against mitochondrial polypeptides, the proteins were tentitatively assigned according to Chomyn eta/. (25). Bands above 46 kD, and at least two polypeptides, possibly ND5 and ND4, were however not present or detectable when synthesis was performed "in organello".

CONCLUSION

This above procedure led to the quantitative release of intact and physiologically active mitochondria from human BLCL. The 6-fold increase of cytochrome c oxidase specific activity in the mitochondria-enriched fraction did not significantly differ from what has been reported for the isolation of rat liver mitochondria (26). This high yield of intact mitochondria allowed us to perform an exhaustive biochemical study of BLCL mitochondria, including polarographic tests, spectrophotometric investigations and "in organello" protein synthesis (about 600 to 700 x 106 cells required). Investigating properties of these isolated mitochondria did not reveal any unique characteristics. However, as previously described for human lymphocytes (7), isolated mitochondria from BLCL did not actively oxidize NAD +dependent substrates. Our results show for the first time that mitochondrial protein synthesis can be successfully studied using mitochondria isolated from human BLCL The high rates of [35S]methionine incorporation allowed for a relatively rapid analysis (5 d) of the translation products. This latter experiment could be of major interest for elucidating control mechanisms of mitochondrial genome expression and of nucleo-mitochondrial interactions in patient BLCL. Thus, BLCL may constitute a valuable source of mitochondria for the investigation of mitochondrial functions in patients with potential RC defects.

Acknowledgments: The authors are extremely grateful to the Association Fran(2aise contre les Myopathies (AFM) for their support. T. Bourgeron and D. Chretien were recipients of AFM fellowships.

REFERENCES

1. Wallace, D.C. (1989) Trends Genet. 5, 9-13. 2. Robinson, B.H., Glerum, D.M., Chow, W., Petrova-Benedict, R., Lightowlers, R., and Capaldi, R. (1990) Ped. Res. 28, 549-555. 3. Bourgeron, T., Chretien, D., R~tig, A., Munnich, A., and Rustin, P. (1992) Prenat. Diagn. (in press). 4. Munnich, A., Rustin, P., ROtig, A., Chretien, D., Bonnefont, J.P., Nuttin, C., Cormier, V., Vassault, A., Parvy, P., Bardet, J., Charpentier, C., Rabier, D., and Saudubray, J.M. (1992) Genetic Counseling (in press). 5. R~tig, A., Cormier, V., Blanche, S., Bonnefont, J.P., Ledeist, F., Romero, N., Schmitz, J., Rustin, P., Fischer, A., Saudubray, J.M., and Munnich, A., (1990) J. Clin. Invest. 86, 1601 - 1608. 6. Millis, A.J.T., and Pious, D.A., (1973) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 292, 73-77. 7. Carpentieri, U., and Sordahl, LA. (1980) Cancer Res. 40, 221-224. 22

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8. Whitfield, C.D., Bostedor, R., Goodrum, D., Haak, M., and Chu, E.H.Y. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 6651-6656. 9. Darley-Usmar, V.M., Rickwood, D., and Wilson, M.'F. (1987) Mitochondria: A practical approach, IRL Press, Oxford, 1-16. 10. Zuurendonk, P.F., Tischler, M.E., Akerboom, T.P.M., Van Der Meer, R., Williamson, J.R., and Tager, J.M. (1979) Meth. Enzymol. 56, 207-223. 11. Klaus, G.G.B. (1987) Lymphocytes: A practical approach, IRL Press, Oxford, 149-162. 12. Chretien, D., Bourgeron, T., R6tig, A., Munnich, A.., and Rustin, P. (1990) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 173, 26-33. 13. Parsons, D.F. and Williams, G.R. (1967) Meth. Enzymol. 10, 443-448. 14. Bergmeyer, H.U. (1963) Methods of enzymatic analysis. Academic Press, New York, 11063. 15. Zheng, X., Shoffner, J.M., Voljavec, A.S., and Wallace, D.C. (1990) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1019, 1-10. 16. Chance, B., and Williams, G.R. (1955) J. Biol. Chem. 217, 395-407. 17. McKee, E.E., Grier, B.L., Thompson, G.S., and McCourt, J.D. (1990) Am. J. Physiol. 258, E492-E502. 18. Mans, R.J., and Novelli, G.D. (1961) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 94, 48-53. 19. Ching, E., and Attardi, G. (1982) Biochemistry 21, 3188-3195. 20. Bradford, M.M. (1976) Anal. Biochem. 72, 248-254. 21. Fowler,S., Shio, H., and Wolinsky, H. (1977) J. Cell Biol. 75, 166-184. 22. Turnbull, D.M., Johnson, M.A., Dick, D.J., Cartlidge, N.E.F., and Sherratt, H.S.A. (1985) J. Neurol. Sci., 70, 93-100. 23. Azzone, G.F., and Carafoli, E. (1960) Exp. Cell Res. 21,447-467. 24. Gutman, M. (1978) Molec. Cell. Biochem. 20, 41-60. 25. Chomyn, A., Cleeter, M.W.J., Ragan, C.I., Riley, M., Doolittie, R.F., and Attardi, G. (1986) Science 234, 614-618. 26. Hovius, R., Lambrechts, H., Klaas, N., and de Kruijff, B. (1990) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1021,217-226.

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